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I will be forever grateful and I hope that he and his family are proud of what I have done with their wonderful gift. John |
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All the time I am also working on the website and slowly getting stronger and fitter. Seven months, February 2001 I still can't believe how good I feel, and I find myself volunteering to do the London to Brighton bike ride ( 58 miles & eleven months post transplant) on the 17th June 2001. As part of the training for this event I also took part in the Henley to Harefield bike ride (26 miles ten months) which was in May 2001.
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My donors sister Karen had seen the show and due to the dates of my transplant etc, she had guessed I had her brothers Steven's heart. Channel 5 want to know if I am willing to meet them on the show when I get back, I was gob smacked. The TV company phoned again the next day and I agreed to go on the show when I get back, only to find if was the very next day after I returned. First year post transplant. The only other time I was this nervous was just before my transplant, I would be meeting my donors Mum Lesley, his sister Karen, his girlfriend Hayley and a couple of other friends of his. They were brilliant, I could not believe how good they made me feel. I had been worried about this meeting, and it really could not have turned out better. We chatted for ages and exchanged phone numbers so that we could meet up again soon. ___________
At times like these you find out who your friends really are. Lesley my donors mum sent me flowers and a few days after my mums funeral she came over to stay a couple of days, she also laid some flowers on my mothers grave. What a wonderful women, first her son saves my life, then she puts my mind at complete ease and tells how much Steven wanted to be a donor after his death. Then she goes out of her way to comfort me when my mum died. __________ 9th September 2001 After the jog I met Professor Yacoub, we had a chat for about 10 minutes and I did manage to get a plug in for the website, and give him 4 pens that promote the site, for him and his children. I first took part only seven weeks after transplant. Ok on that occasion I may have walked the three & half miles, but before transplant even that would have been too much for me. At the end of the walk I felt great, I believe I could have done another circuit but it was still early days and I don't want to push my luck. There were lots of people saying I should not be doing it so soon anyway. Fifteen months 30th October 2001, and I am at it again. This time the London Marathon sounds fun. It is not until the 14th April 2002, but I will need that long to get fit enough to complete the 27 mile run. __________
__________ 5th January 2002 - Fifteen Months post transplant This is a picture of Steffen my Ski instructor and me at the top of the mountain, it looks a bit like a post card that's how beautiful the scenery was. The whole family were with me Jan & Leanne were in my group, while Simon & Charlie were in a beginners group with a couple of friends who went with us. I enjoyed the trip so much I have already booked another skiing holiday for March later this year in France with two of my aunties __________
2002
Well we did it 26miles 385yds. Twenty months after transplant, I must be completely mad, but what a great day and achievement. Sunday 14th April 6.30am and my alarm goes off, until today I didn't even know there was a 6.30am. I drove to London to meet my jogging partner David Nagel (my wife's boss), and then we made our way to the start. Over 33,000 people were taking part in the Marathon, all for various reasons and some in costumes. The first 10 miles went really well, then my left knee decided to play up. I tried for the next couple of miles to ignore it, but in the end I had to slow the pace down. I said to David that he should carry on at his own pace, but being a true gentlemen he stayed with me. Jan, Charlie, my Nan and two Aunt's Linda and Val, David's wife, and a couple of friends came to support us. We meet up with them a various points around London. ________ My 40th Birthday Party Wednesday 24th April 2002 I made it to 40 years old, seems strange how just a couple of years a go I thought I would not live to see 40, and now I have. On Saturday 27th I had a birthday party at a local hall, complete with bar and disco. Over 70 friends and family attended and one very special guest, Leslie (my donors mum). I introduced her just as my friend Les, a few people did know who she was but most didn't. Les brought me a very nice present, a silver heart attached to a cork, which I will use to re-seal part drunk bottles (not that I often leave any after opening). It seemed hard to believe, I was chatting, drinking and dancing with the mother of my donor at my 40th Birthday. I can't even begin to tell you how that felt. ________ Thursday 23rd May 2002 I was asked to meet up with the Around Britain Challenge Team who are promoting the British National Blood Service and hoping to gain another 100,000 donors.
I joined them in Southsea and then went onto Portsmouth where we were met by members of the British Blood Service and the Mayoress of Portsmouth. We gave out blood donor forms and managed to get various members of the public to sign-up to be donors. Nigel and Dave have a support team of four, they are all living and sleeping in a motor-home that I would consider is really only big enough for four, hence that is why I choose to sleep in my car. The most secure place they could think Then next day we went with the Blood Service to the Isle of Wight to visit a donor session, Chris a member of the support team even gave blood while we were there. It was a great opportunity to personally thank some blood donors for their donation of a pint of blood, without which my operation could never have taken place. Do Something Amazing, Give Blood and Save a Life. _______ Sunday 16th June 2002 As if all wearing super hero costumes was not enough we even had a speaker system set up on my bike with a CD playing the 70's theme music for Spiderman, Superman and Batman. It certainly brought a smile everyone's face and we totally enjoyed the 58mile bike ride. We did have a few hic-ups, Robin (John) had a puncture on the start line, then Spiderman Once again we set off now with only 14 miles to go and I came across Superwomen, so another photo was in order, sadly I didn't get her name. Now the best part of the day the finish line and an ice cold beer. ______ London Marathon April 2003
I am really pleased to say that Jan and I completed the London Marathon 2003, we had a fantastic day. During the race I was interviewed by BBC TV where I got the chance to promote transplantation and donor cards, we also stopped and chatted to several friends including some of the staff from the British Heart Foundation. I am already thinking of taking part again next year.
_______ 23rd May 2003 If you get the chance please do tune into his show 104.6fm and boost his ratings as a thank you from all of us. ________ 15th June 2003
A boiling hot summers day and we put on full fancy dress and then cycled from London to Brighton, well my excuse is that I am on several drugs and my friends were talked in to it. The event was very well organised as usual and we all had a fantastic day, we even raised some money for the British Heart Foundation at the same time. ______ 1st July 2003 We had a few photo's taken while some TV cameras were running in the background, the secretary of health visited the Donor Bus and signed a donor registration form and then we had a trip on the London Eye. I hope this will help raise a lot more awareness and encourage people to carry a donor card. Remember to tell your family and friends your wishes _______ 4th August 2003 I really enjoyed the Triathlon and will (health permitting) take part in it again next year, although I will have to get a better bike. ________ Sunday 2nd November 2003 26.2 miles - 42.195km 8.30am and along with about 3000 others I am on the start line of the marathon which will follow the original coarse that Pheidippides a solder ran from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C. to deliver the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died. This marathon made the London Marathon feel like a walk in the park, the first 20 miles are up hill and the last 6.2 miles are down hill, to make the event even harder the temperature was around 25 degrees. Sharon Krollig who has been my running partner for the last 18 months ran with me and during the last few miles she managed to keep me going as I had completely ran out of steam. I can not image a better place to finish other than the Original Panathinaikon Athens Stadium , the only marble stadium in the world, it was such a great feeling to go over the finish line and receive my medal.
_______ April 2004 .
I managed to finish this year in 4hrs 37mins 22secs
London to Brighton 2004 I have never had my bum pinch so much, it was great fun and we managed to raise some money for the British heart Foundation in the process.
________ June 2004
National Transplant Week, I am pleased to say I was asked to appear on GMTV to promote transplantation and the donor register, then we had a meeting and photographs at the House of Commons with The Minister of Health.
________ July 2004 I took part in the 1500m track race winning a Silver medal, 12 mile bike race winning Bronze, 4km road race winning a Silver medal and then I received another Silver medal for the biathlon. ________ August 2004
Sharon enjoyed the event and has already entered for next years event. ________ September 2004 I asked Magdi if he would be the Patron of the website and the President of the charity I have set up, I am very pleased to say he said YES. ________ Snowdonia Marathon October 2004
It was a very tough run but we did it in 5 hrs 4secs, Snowdonia has given the word "hilly" a whole new meaning. ________ South Africa November 2004
________ London Marathon 2005
I am pleased to say I ran the marathon again this year and once again I did a live interview with Sue Barker, on this occasion I had my camera at hand. I finished in 5:04:58
_______ London To Brighton 2005 The Village People - It was the hottest year to date, 32degees and I end up wearing full army battle dress. Last year it rained and I had a nurses uniform on, one year I will get it right. I am pleased to say we did a BBC TV News interview at the start which was shown several times on TV throughout the day and Dominic from BBC Southern Counties Radio call me on my mobile and did a couple of live interviews during the day as well. ______ Sydney Marathon 2005
I expected the Sydney marathon to be fairly flat, I couldn't have been more wrong, but what a fantastic event. One thing did surprize me though, while running through Sydney Centre at around 7.30am peolpe were coming out of various pubs and clubs to support us with a glass of beer in their hands...Only in Australia could you really imagine such a thing happening. ______ London Marathon 2006
Well there it is all that training and hard work has paid off, I tried to run a steady pace from start to finish. As you can see from the 10km splits I ran each one in around 58mins, and set a new personal best of 4hrs 13mins 23secs.. _______ London To Brighton 2006 This was my sixth time since transplant to take part in this event, on this occasion Dr Peter Wilkinson my original cardiologist joined me for the 58mile bike ride.
________ European Transplant Games Naples June 2006 I had the honour and privilege of joining over 500 heart, lung and heart/lung recipients and taking part in the European Transplant games in Naples. The organisation was a bit hit and miss but we all made the most of it, and to be honest it is all really about being able to take part rather than winning. I competed in the 12mile bike ride and came 4th in my age category 35 - 44, so being the oldest in the group I was quite pleased with my performance. I also took part in several running events where I did manage to win a few medals:- 400m Gold - 1500m, 4km, biathlon, 4x100m relay Bronze. ________ October 2006
I was a bit concerned about my lack of fitness, but on the day experience and being fitter than I thought paid off. 4hrs 38mims 34secs - the best part of the Venice marathon is the last mile - you run over 14 bridges one of which is specially constructed and floated over the Grand Canal for the runners. It is also very strange to be running past people who are sitting outside restaurants enjoying their meals while watching the event. There they are eating and drinking while at mile 25 of a marathon you are completely worn out and starving hungry. I left my hotel at 5.45am to catch the water bus to the bus terminal, here I had to catch a another bus to the start of the marathon 26 miles away. The actual marathon started at 9.15am, with around 7,000 people taking part. It was a cloudy, dry day and as usual with these events everyone was very friendly and chatty, Chris a school teacher from Kent who I met on the start line stayed with me all the way to the finish line. ______ The Lord Mayor Show 2006
______ 22nd April 2007
During the marathon I also chatted to Colin Jackson (BBC Sport) So now the count down to The China Marathon begins, four weeks and counting.. _______ 8th May 2007
Shirley Doyle - Andy Kellock(19years post transplant) _______________ 29th May 2007 The race started at 7.30am, although we had to be there at 5.30am. When the gun went off it was around 25degrees and we had 26.2miles (42km) ahead of us. First we had to run 3miles (5km) up hill in order to get to the Great Wall and our first step to climb of over 3,700. As you can see there is no shade, no handrails and each flight can be over 250 steps with no landing. It is now around 30degress and little do we know but we still have over 5hours out here before we will finish. As usual there are people flying past us, but my experience tells me I will be seeing them again later in the day as I pass them in the second half of the race. The tortoise and the hare, in a marathon like this the tortoise will win every time. A good friend Peter Russell, who now lives and works in China has agreed to run with me. We take it in turns to carry a bottle of water, as we begin to realise what we have taken on. We actually only run about 5miles on the Great Wall, 2.5miles near the start of the race and another 2.5miles near the end.. Yes that really is more than enough.... Considering the heat and the fact that we seem to be continually climbing, we are doing very well. We get to the half marathon point around 3hrs and can't believe it is still going up hill, it is also now around 35degrees. Surely it has to go down hill now? I begin to think that we will follow the same route down as we came up, which will be superb as it is mostly tarmac road. 21miles - 4hrs 30mins later and we are back on the Great Wall, the cut off time for this point is 6hrs, so we are really pleased with our progress. The thing is we now have almost 2000 steps to climb and some are almost knee high. But how long can it take to complete the last five miles? Actually as it turned out it wasn't the last 3miles we had to worry about, but the next 2miles over the wall. I can't believe it has taken us 45mins to Oh remember these runners that went past us earlier? Well there they are sitting on the steps or laying down, some are even heading back off the wall, having even up. We leave the wall for the last time and now have 3miles (5km) of down hill tarmac road to the finish line. I am surprised how good my legs feel as I was really struggling on the climb over the wall. We start to jog and before we now it we are into a good pace around 10minute miles, which is very good for the last 3 miles of a marathon, especially this one. We look at our watches, then each other 6hrs 3mins... I believe we both had the same thought at this point, we have to beat 6hrs 30min. We up the pace and we are passing people all the time, most of who are now walking. 6hrs 26mins and a few seconds - we did it..
Now it is time to do some interviews and raise some transplant and donor awareness, the press and TV coverage is superb. I have my photo taken with Henrik Jorgensen, the London Marathon Winner 1988, for a Dutch newspaper. The next day I also get to see some articles about me in various Chinese Papers, although I don't have a clue what they say..
_______________ 10th October 2007
John Fisher - Magdi Yacoub - Mike Doyle ________________ 27th November 2007 Peter Russell and I will be taking part in the Cape Town Ultra Marathon in March 2008 (35miles), Shanghai Marathon was part of our training for this event and a bit of a wake up call for me as I still find marathons very tough. Which means I will have to train even harder if I am going to complete The Cape Town Ultra..
28th March 2008 The event was very well organised with a 6.30am start time, which meant I had to be up at 4am ready to leave my hotel by 5am. Well fortunately a good friend Peter Russell had decided to join me in Cape Town for this run or I may never have even made the start line. Yes I over slept, the hotel didn't give me my wake up call at 4am, so it was Peter banging on the door at 5am that woke me up. I had laid out my kit the night before, so all I had to do was grab it and jump in the taxi. My pre run breakfast turned out to be a muffin and can of coke. 6.30am and the gun went off for the start, it was still dark and quite cool with the first 14mile being fairly flat, on our left hand side was the Indain Ocean and some superb views. I found myself running along the centre of the road with 10,500 other runners around me, thats when I almost fell over. The cats eyes there are made of metal and are stuck to the surface of the road, they stick up quite a bit and almost brought me to my knees.
As you can see from the 14mile point we began to run up hill, from here we are heading in land and towards the Atlantic Ocean. Around about the centre of the big valley you can see is the Marathon mark 26.2 miles (4hrs 19mins), from here it really does get tough to the top of that hill. At the very top I came across a TV crew and did a short live interview as the whole reason for this run for me was to raise transplant and donor awareness and try to encourage people to join the organ donor register. Well from that point it is pity much down hill all the way to the finish line. Peter stayed with me to around the 25mile mark but had to stop for the call of nature, telling me to carry on and he would catch me up. Sadly he didn't catch me until the finish line, that mountain of a hill took it's toll on him and he finished the event about 10 minutes after I did. But we both achieved our goal of finishing under 6hrs and getting a Bronze medal each..
Now it was time for a photo for a national newspaper and another chance to raise some awareness. I was the first heart recipent to complete this event and it also coincided with the 40th year since the world's first heart transplant was done here.
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The months leading up to my transplant I could hardly dress and shower myself, due to shortness of breath and lack of energy. Then 30th July 2000 as you already know I had my transplant, after a couple of days in intensive care I was moved to the wards. Then things really began to move fast, within five days I was walking, ok only just but walking nonetheless. Eight days I decide to build this website, while still in hospital. Fifteen days I am at home feeling fantastic, I hear that the UK government are considering closing Harefield hospital. Before I know it I am making a national TV program, letting everyone know what a superb hospital Harefield is and to close it would be darn right crazy.
Six weeks post transplant and I am taking part in the Harefield jog. I may have walked the three and a half mile course, but pre-transplant I would never have even been able to walk half a mile. I actually felt quite good afterwards but decided that was more than enough for one day. I wasn't to know or realise that I would soon be completing marathons...
What next? a long awaited family holiday at the end on July 2001. Then Monday 16th July 2001 eleven and a half months, I am again on national TV doing a organ donor card appeal on Gloria Huniford's show, on Channel 5. Next day were off on our holiday, Jan, Charlie, Mother in-law, my mum and of course me. A weeks cruise on the Med and then a week in Majorca only to be phoned by Channel 5 TV while still on the ship.
Two days later my Mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and told she only has a couple of months to live. This seemed unbelievable, only a week a go we were on holiday together no-one had a clue. For the first five weeks mum didn't seem to be to bad, and was insisting on staying at her house. Then she went down hill, the doctors wanted to put her in a hospice, but I decided mum was coming home with me. I am pleased to say I had my wife's full support, I set up a bed in the lounge so mum was never on her own. I stayed with her day and night for the next week, sadly mum died early one morning at 5.15am 18th September 2001. I was still awake, as I knew she didn't have much longer. Mum had told me how pleased she was to see me fit and well, and that she would die before her kid's or grandchildren. No parent should have to bury their own children.
Yes I found myself taking part in the jog once again this year, there were over 400 others also willing to do their bit (hope you were one of them?). I did three and a half mile circuit again this year only this time I did jog. Professor Yacoub (my transplant surgeon) again took part and lead the way for the first 150yds. I have raised some sponsorship but due to doing the London to Brighton bike ride not so long a go I have not raised a great deal this time. But I was there doing my bit and showing my support for Harefield Hospital.
Sixteen months and TV channel 5's Open House take Charlie (my youngest daughter, aged 7), her friend, Jan (my wife) and me to Lapland for the weekend. This turned out to be a trip of a lifetime, the girls loved every second especially the filming in the knowledge that they were going to be on TV. I would never have even dreamed I would ever go to the Arctic Circle for a weekend to see Santa.
Skiing in Romania
London Marathon
Dave Abrutat [paraplegic] (handcycle) and Nigel Rogoff [amputee] (seakayak) are going to be the first combined solo seakayak and handcycle team to circumnavigate Great Britain. The challenge is planned to take 130 days, and started on Friday 10th May 2002 at Tower Bridge, London. The challenge will cover an estimated 3000 miles. 
to park us was in the middle of a shopping centre, with flood lighting and security guards, we were right outside a newsagents and men's wear store.
breakfast, meet up with some friends and we head for Clapham Common for the start of the London to Brighton bike ride 2002.
(Simon) had two punctures, one at the 12 mile mark and another at 23 miles and then Batman thought he was Superman and flew over the handle bars, the flying bit went well it was the landing that was the real problem. His front wheel and pride were the most damaged, we managed to get him and the bike to a service stop and purchase a new wheel.
This is Dominic Busby from BBC Southern County's Radio, Dominic has been a great help in promoting transplantation and donor cards. Last Tuesday was the third time he has had me on his show, this time we chatted about the London marathon, transplantation and this website. Dominic has also agreed to do the London marathon with me next year along with Richard Hammond one of the BBC Top Gear presenters.
I was very pleased to have been invited to the official opening of National Transplant Week, this took place at the London Eye. Among the people who attended where the Secretary of Health John Reid, Chief Executive of UK Transplant Sue Sutherland, Chairman and The Administrator of TIME (transplants in mind) Dr David Harley & Sue Johnstone, David Nix & the Donor Bus, Laura Harrington (9 year old who is currently waiting for a donor heart), Heart recipients Hannah Pudsey, Mike Wicks (also chairman of TSAGB) and myself.
Yesterday I took part in the London Triathlon - 1 mile swim (43mins14sec) - 25 mile cycle (1hr 50mins 42secs) - 6.5 mile run (1hr 12mins 53secs) - one after the other taking a total of 3hrs 46mins 49secs, I am pleased to say that Steve Cram and BBC Grandstand did a interview with me before and after the event and I managed to get a great plug in for Organ Donor Cards (this will be on TV Sunday 10th August).
On my return to England on the 16th April I went to London and picked up my running number for the London Marathon which was on the 18th April 2004.
The things I will do for charity, dressed as doctors and nurses (me as a nurse) we took to our bikes and rode the 56 miles from London to Brighton.
What a superb event, the Irish President Mary McOlest was at the opening dinner and gave a very good speech on the Irish Transplantation program. She also pointed out that more people in Ireland carried a donor card than any other country. 
The London Triathlon, this year I was joined by my running and training partner Sharon Krollig. I asked her while we were running the Athens Marathon in temperatures of 25 degree and having run over 15 miles up hill, at a moment of weakness she agreed and I held her to it.
I once again help organise and took part in the Harefield Jog, Sir Professor Magdi Yacoub presented the Awards while I introduce the winnings on the PA system. I then joined Magdi at the start line and we lead the runners out of the hospital grounds.
I met Paul Larkin after the London Triathlon, he is the editor of Running Fitness Magazine. He couldn't believe a heart recipient had just completed the triathlon and asked if he could do a feature on me. So I arranged to take part in the Snowdonia marathon, said to be the toughest in Europe. Sharon Krollig my running partner agreed to join me which was fantastic of her to give me and transplantation so much of her time, although I am sure she does enjoy it as well.
I was asked to join a team from the British Heart Foundation who where going to cycle from George Town to Cape Town, South Africa. By coincidences my original cardiologist Dr Peter Wilkinson was also taking part, it was very tough long days, 25 - 35 degrees and very little shade. It took six days riding for us to complete the route which included Swart Berg Pass and The Garden Route. While in Cape town I visited Groot Schuur Hospital where Dr Christiaan Bernard did the worlds first heart transplant, it was fascinating to actually be in the theatre where it all began.
Thanks to sponsorship from The Staines Outback Steak House, I was able to fly to Australia and take part in the Sydney Marathon to celebrate five years post transplant.
17th June 06
Superb - yes that's how The Venice Marathon went (my ninth since transplant)...
I was very pleased and honoured to be asked to take part in the Lord Mayor Show and to be interviewed by Claire Balding for the BBC. This gave me a great opportunity to once again promote the positive sides of transplantation and hopefully encourage people to join the Organ Donor Register. 
I had the great pleasure of chatting to Ron Hill at the expo centre on Friday when I picked up my race number, Ron signed my race number for me and gave me some last minute advice. 
on London Bridge and Sue Barker on the finish line. Sue has interviewed me six years running now, and is a great supporter of Transplantation. This year Sue said how amazed she was that I have now completed 6 London Marathons since transplant and that I must be a great inspiration to people on the transplant waiting list, she finished by saying see you next year...
cover the next mile, and even at this pace we are over taking people. 
Cape Town Two Oceans Ultra Marathon - 35miles (56km) 5hrs 46mins 52secs, and I enjoyed every step of the way chatting and making new friends as I went.
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